< Proverbs 25 >
1 These are also proverbs of Solomon, that men of Hezekiah king of Judah transcribed:
These are more proverbs of Solomon, collected by the scribes of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
2 The glory of God [is] to hide a thing, And the glory of kings [is] to search out a matter.
God's greatness is in doing things that can't be known, while the greatness of kings is in revealing things.
3 The heavens for height, and the earth for depth, And the heart of kings—[are] unsearchable.
Just as the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth can't be known, the king's thinking can't be known.
4 Take away dross from silver, And a vessel goes forth for the refiner,
Remove the waste from the silver, and the silversmith has pure silver to work with.
5 Take away the wicked before a king, And his throne is established in righteousness.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence and the king will rule securely and justly.
6 Do not honor yourself before a king, And do not stand in the place of the great.
Don't try to make yourself look great before the king, and don't pretend to be among the important people,
7 For better [that] he has said to you, “Come up here,” Than [that] he humbles you before a noble, Whom your eyes have seen.
for it's better to be told, “Come up here,” than to be humiliated before a nobleman. Even though you've seen something with your own eyes,
8 Do not go forth to strive, hurry, turn, What do you do in its latter end, When your neighbor causes you to blush?
don't rush to take legal action, for what are you going to do in the end when your neighbor shows you're wrong and humiliates you?
9 Plead your cause with your neighbor, And do not reveal the secret counsel of another,
Discuss the case with your neighbor himself, and don't betray someone else's secret,
10 Lest the hearer put you to shame, And your evil report not turn back.
otherwise whoever hears it will make you ashamed and you'll never lose your bad reputation.
11 Apples of gold in imagery of silver, [Is] the word spoken at its fit times.
Advice given at the right time is like golden apples set in silver.
12 A ring of gold, and an ornament of pure gold, [Is] the wise reprover to an attentive ear.
Constructive criticism from the wise to someone who listens is like a gold ring and a necklace of fine gold.
13 As a vessel of snow in a day of harvest, [So is] a faithful ambassador to those sending him, And he refreshes the soul of his masters.
Faithful messengers are as refreshing to their master as cold snow on a hot harvest day.
14 Clouds and wind without rain, [Is] a man boasting himself in a false gift.
Someone who boasts about a gift they never give is like cloud and wind without rain.
15 A ruler is persuaded by long-suffering, And a soft tongue breaks a bone.
If you're patient you can persuade your superior, and soft words can break down opposition.
16 You have found honey—eat your sufficiency, Lest you are satiated [with] it, and have vomited it.
If you find honey, eat just enough, for if you eat too much, you'll be sick.
17 Withdraw your foot from your neighbor’s house, Lest he is satiated [with] you, and has hated you.
Don't set foot in your neighbors' homes too often, otherwise they'll get fed up with you and hate you.
18 A maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, [Is] the man testifying a false testimony against his neighbor.
Telling lies in court against a friend is like attacking them with a mace, or a sword, or an arrow.
19 A bad tooth, and a tottering foot, [Is] the confidence of the treacherous in a day of adversity.
Trusting in unreliable people in times of trouble is like eating with a broken tooth or walking on a bad foot.
20 Whoever is taking away a garment in a cold day, [Is as] vinegar on natron, And a singer of songs on a sad heart.
Singing happy songs to someone who's broken-hearted is like taking off your coat on a cold day, or pouring vinegar onto an open wound.
21 If he who is hating you hungers, cause him to eat bread, And if he thirsts, cause him to drink water.
If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat; if he's thirsty, give him a drink of water.
22 For you are putting coals on his head, And YHWH gives repayment to you.
This will make him ashamed as if he had burning coals piled on his head, and the Lord will reward you.
23 A north wind brings forth rain, And a secret tongue—indignant faces.
In the same way that the north wind brings rain, slandering people makes them angry.
24 Better to sit on a corner of a roof, Than [with] a woman of contentions, and a house of company.
It's better to live in a corner of a housetop than to share a whole house with an argumentative wife.
25 [As] cold waters for a weary soul, So [is] a good report from a far country.
Good news from a distant country is like cold water to an exhausted traveler.
26 A spring troubled, and a fountain corrupt, [Is] the righteous falling before the wicked.
Good people who give in to the wicked are like a muddied spring or a polluted well.
27 The eating of much honey is not good, Nor a searching out of one’s own honor—honor.
It's not good to eat too much honey, or to want too much praise.
28 A city broken down without walls, [Is] a man without restraint over his spirit!
Someone without control is as exposed as a town whose walls have been breached.